Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Carroll Dunham. It dates from 1996 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
It’s made using a printmaking method called lithography, where the image is drawn on a flat stone or plate.
This painting is a wild mix of bright colors and odd shapes. There’s a big yellow background with a green and orange landscape at the bottom. Strange, smiling faces pop up everywhere—some look happy, others seem grumpy. Trees, buildings, and even a teapot are drawn in simple, wobbly lines. The colors clash in a fun, chaotic way, like a dream you can’t quite remember.
The artist signed it in the corner with the year 1996. It’s made using a printmaking method called lithography, where the image is drawn on a flat stone or plate.
Check out lithography to see how this kind of art is made.
Overview
Untitled is a 1996 lithograph by American artist Carroll Dunham, characterized by a vibrant, chaotic composition of bright colors and irregular shapes set against a yellow background.
Subject & Meaning
The print features a surreal, dreamlike landscape with smiling faces, trees, buildings, and a teapot, all rendered in simple, wobbly lines. This juxtaposition of abstract and figurative elements reflects Dunham's exploration of dualities in his work.
Technique & Style
Created using lithography, the piece showcases Dunham's conceptual approach, blending abstraction and figuration. The clashing colors and naive, expressive lines contribute to the work's playful, unsettling ambiance.
History & Provenance
Produced during a resurgence of painting in the 1990s, following conceptual art's dominance, the lithograph is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection. Dunham's career, established in the late 1970s, gained critical momentum in the 1980s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carroll Dunham (born November 5, 1949) is an American painter. Working since the late 1970s, Dunham's career reached critical renown in the 1980s when he first exhibited with Baskerville + Watson, a decade during which…
